TL;DR
Get business pricing on office and shipping supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
U.S. Bank launched two small business credit cards on Sept. 28, 2026 — a no-annual-fee Business Essentials Visa and a $295 Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature — offering up to 3.5% cash back when paired with qualifying business checking. The move responds to survey data showing rewards are a leading factor in how small businesses pick their primary card.
U.S. Bank launched two new small business credit cards on Monday (Sept. 28), designed to deliver what the bank called “straight-forward rewards” on everyday business purchases. The Business Essentials Visa Card carries no annual fee while the Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature Card charges $295 annually and offers up to 3.5% total cash back, according to the bank’s press release. The launch targets a segment where 35.5% of small to mid-sized businesses say rewards and cashback features influence their choice of primary card, according to PYMNTS Intelligence research.
The U.S. Bank Business Essentials Visa Card has no annual fee and offers unlimited 2% cash back on everyday business purchases, according to the release. Cardholders can earn up to 2.5% total cash back when the card is paired with a qualifying balance in a qualified business checking account. The card also provides Visa Business benefits.
The premium option, the U.S. Bank Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature Card, carries a $295 annual fee and offers enhanced rewards: unlimited 2% cash back on everyday business purchases, up to 3.5% total cash back when paired with a qualifying business checking balance, and 5% cash back on the business’s top spend category, capped at $200,000 in annual spend, per the release. It includes Visa Signature Business benefits.
Both cards come with a welcome offer, access to U.S. Bank’s Spend Management platform, and the bank’s ExtendPay fixed-fee payment plan for large purchases, according to the release. U.S. Bank also announced that actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba will serve as its new small business spokesperson, promoting the cards.
Why Rewards Cards Target Small Business Spending
The launch reflects how central rewards have become in the competition for small business card relationships. According to the PYMNTS Intelligence report “SMB Growth Monitor: How Firms Use and Choose Credit Cards,” 35.5% of small to mid-sized businesses cited “best rewards/cashback features” as a factor in choosing their primary card — with 14.1% calling it the main reason and another 21.3% calling it an important reason.
For small business owners, the structure of the new cards — flat-rate cash back plus bonus rates tied to banking relationships — is designed to reward consolidation of banking and card activity with a single institution. The 5% category bonus on the Plus card, capped at $200,000 in annual spend, is aimed at businesses with concentrated spending in one area, such as advertising, shipping or supplies.
The cards also bundle non-rewards tools, including spend management and a fixed-fee installment payment option, reflecting banks’ broader push to serve small businesses’ operational needs rather than simply extend credit.
U.S. Bank’s Recent Small Business Push
The card launch continues a run of small business-focused offerings from U.S. Bank. In July 2026, the bank introduced a tool called Enhanced Payments that helps small businesses move money faster, according to the bank.
In July 2025, U.S. Bank launched Business Resources Central (BRC), a free online hub providing educational offerings for small businesses. The new cards add a payments and rewards layer to that portfolio, pairing with the bank’s checking accounts and digital tools.
The marketing campaign behind the cards leans on a celebrity spokesperson: Jessica Alba, who founded The Honest Company in 2012, will spotlight the new products as U.S. Bank’s small business spokesperson, the bank said in a separate Monday press release.
“Our new Business Essentials cards offer small business owners straightforward, easy-to-use benefits that help simplify their spending, banking and expense management.”
— Courtney Kelso, senior executive vice president of payments, consumer and small business at U.S. Bank
Details Not Yet Public About the New Cards
Several card terms were not specified in the announcement and remain unclear. The release did not detail the value or structure of the welcome offers on either card, the interest rates, or the full list of categories eligible for the Plus card’s 5% cash back bonus. The definition of a “qualifying balance” in a business checking account — and exactly how much extra cash back it unlocks at each tier — was also not specified.
Additionally, the eligibility criteria for the top spend category bonus, how the category is determined, and whether the 5% rate applies automatically or requires enrollment were not addressed in the release. Readers should consult U.S. Bank’s full card terms before applying.
Rollout and Marketing Campaign Ahead
The cards are available now, according to the bank’s Monday announcement, with the Jessica Alba-led marketing campaign expected to promote the products in the coming months. Small business owners can compare the no-annual-fee Business Essentials card against the $295 Plus card based on their annual spend, with the Plus card’s higher rewards rates needing to offset the annual fee.
How the cards perform against competing small business rewards cards from issuers such as American Express, Chase and Capital One — which also offer flat-rate and category-bonus structures — will shape whether U.S. Bank’s straightforward-rewards positioning gains traction in a rewards-driven market.
Key Questions
What are the two new U.S. Bank small business cards?
The U.S. Bank Business Essentials Visa Card (no annual fee, unlimited 2% cash back, up to 2.5% with a qualifying checking balance) and the U.S. Bank Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature Card ($295 annual fee, unlimited 2% cash back, up to 3.5% with a qualifying checking balance, and 5% cash back on the top spend category up to $200,000 annually).
How can cardholders earn the maximum cash back?
According to the release, the boosted rates — up to 2.5% on the standard card and up to 3.5% on the Plus card — require pairing the card with a qualifying balance in a qualified U.S. Bank business checking account. The bank has not specified the exact balance thresholds or bonus tiers.
Do the cards have annual fees?
The Business Essentials Visa Card has no annual fee. The Business Essentials Plus Visa Signature Card carries a $295 annual fee, according to U.S. Bank’s press release.
What other benefits do the cards include?
Both cards include a welcome offer, access to U.S. Bank’s Spend Management platform, the ExtendPay fixed-fee payment plan for large purchases, and Visa business benefits — Visa Business on the standard card and Visa Signature Business on the Plus card.
Why is U.S. Bank launching these cards now?
Rewards are a major factor in card choice for small businesses: PYMNTS Intelligence found 35.5% of small to mid-sized businesses cite best rewards/cashback features as a factor in choosing their primary card, with 14.1% calling it the main reason.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
